Manufacture of wheels



y 14, 1929- J. R. ALLAN 1,712,805

- MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS 4 Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 14, 1929! J. k. ALLAN 1,712,805

MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS Filed May 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 14, 1929. J. R. ALLAN MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jamjjf. Zlan.

MW I

Patented May 14; 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. ALLAN, or OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'TOINTEBKA'LIONAL HAR- vas'rna COMPANY, A coRPoR 'rron or'mzw JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS.

This invention presents a method and appara'tus for manufacturing metallic wheels for implements or 'ehicles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a. method including a novel sequence of steps for manufacturing metal wheels, the part icular method resulting in a wheel, the spokes of which are under a natural tension. v

A further object of the invention is to provide novel apparatus for carrying out the method of manufacture.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The acc ompanying drawings assist in the.

disclosure of the invention; In these drawings: Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view, showing the separate parts of a wheel before they are united; 7 3 I U Figure 2 is a plan illustrating the condition of a wheel after the hub, rim,and spokes have been united, but'the rim not welded at the joint;

. Figure 3 isa plan, illustrating the condit-ion of the wheel after the open rim has been expanded by the simultaneous heating of the spokes before welding the ri n1joint;-,

Figure 4 is a plan, illustrating the completed wheel after the rim Lends have been permanently joined; I

Figure 5 is a detail view, showing the manner of joining the spokes and the run 3 Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which the spokes are joined to the hub;

Figure 7 is a plan, showing an incomplete wheel-in operative position in the 11- lustrative apparatus used in the present method of manufacture; and

Figure 8 is a vertical, sectional view of the apapratus shown in Figure 7 As the first part of the illustratlve method of manufacture, certain parts such as those illustrated in Figure l are provided. The hub 10 is formed, having openings 11 to receive the spokes 12, which are cut to uniform length. Then a portion of rim stock is bent. to approximately circular form to constitute the rim 13. It is provided with.

spoke holes 14.

The succeeding step in the mcthod'herem disclosed is the joining of the spokes to the hub 10 and to the rim 13 ina permanent manner, although it is within the purviewof the invention that the rim might at this time be a closed structure so that the spokes would he insertedwithinthe rim with capacity for movement relative *thereto. In the illustrative method, the spokes are forged or upset so that theresulting structure is similar to that illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. In the accomplishment of this step the spokesare heated at their ends and are then inserted through the successive holes in the hub and the rim.- This manner of positioning the spokes relative to the hub and the rim produces bosses 15 and 16, which act=to vpermanently lock the spokes to the rim,- but it is to be understood that otherhways of positioning the spokes relative to the rim,are withinwthezscope of the invention. Bosses .17 ,;and 18 unite the spokes with the h ubur I The particular sequence ofsteps above related resultsin an unfinished wheel preseating an appearance similar. to that illustrated in Figure 2- of the -'clrawings, the rim ends in this case being u-njoined and overlapped. Ifthe invention is. practiced with the use of a closed or continuous rim, -the spoke ends, at thisustage of -the method will have capacity for movement relative to 'the rim or to the hub.

The remainder of the illustrative method includes a sequence of steps resulting in -the production ;of awheel of marked sumethod is the heating of the spokes without It is.

a corresponding heating. of the rim. conceivable that this step of the method mighthecarried out in other manners, the

essential result being that the spokes are so conditioned relative to the rim that they are at amuch higher temperature. As particularly set forth in this description the differential temperatures of the rim and the spokes are caused at a time when the wheel is'inan unfinished condition, such as that illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, although, when the continuons rimis used, the outer ends of the spokes will be capable of movement relative to the rim. This heating opreation is advantageously accomplished in such a heating apparatus as thatshown in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.

' place. La p-weldi n g the rnnends.

Due to this heating operation the spokes are expanded and 'leng thened, their outer ends being forced outwardly when their opposite ends are fixed in thewhcel hub in the manner-illustrated in Figure (5 of the drawings. lVhencontinuous rims are used in the carrying out of the illustrative method, the outer ends of the spokes must move out:- wardly relative to. the rim, but in the use of such structures as are illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, iuelusive of the drawings, the open' To facilitate juncture of the rim ends it is advantageousjunder some circumstances to heat the rim ends at the same time at which the spokes are heated, as above"indicated. This heating of' the riln'ends takes place in a welding furnace shown as apart of the heating apparatus'of Figul'es' 7 and S of the drawings? lVhen both of the.'-:e'heating open ations have been carried out, the wheel is immediatelyremoved from the heating apparatus and the' rini ends are joined. Lapwelding 1s-accomphshed by the immediate placing 0f the overlapped rim ends under a welding lltl111mC1,tli0 blows of which automatically un'ite them. The wheel is now complete exccpt'for-the t-ruing and cooling operations. All deformations are taken out, of thc whecl in a truing device, and the spokes are brought tonormal; temperature,

or cooled. 'lhbspokes contract and, due to the fact that; they have been at a higher temperature while the rim ends were joined, there is a comparatively-greater contraction of the spokes relative to the contraction of the rim,the spokes being put. under a substantial degree of tension without any substantial deformation of the rim from circular form. Y

The illustrative heating apparatus includes a wheel heating furnace having a fuel chamber, herein shown as the central circular chamber 20. This chamber is mounted on a base preferably oftable form comprising the platform 2- supportcd by standards 22. Radially arranged relative to the center of the full chamber are fuel conduits 23 and 24 which are shown supported by the fuel chamber so as to extend alternately upwardly and downwardly therefrom. As'shown, the fuel conduit 23 slopes downwardly from its inner end and the opposite conduit-24 slopes upwardly from'its inner end. 'lhese' separate conduits are representative of alternate conduits around the fuel chamber 20. Each conduit .has'a slope approximately parallel of the drawings.

The conduits 23 are located underneath the spokes which extend from the top of the wheel hub as it is shown in Figure 2. For that; reason, the burners 25 secured to conduits 23 are of greater height than the burners 26 secured to conduits 24. The burners ot' the latter conduits are arranged for heat ing the spokes which extend from the bot-- tom of the hub of the wheel as it'is shown in Figure 2.

lVheel centering means herein shown as a stud 27 is provided. This stud is preferably mounted upon the fuel chamber 20, and is arranged centrally thereof, so' as to enter the hub of a wheel and properly center the latter on the heating apparatus. heel positioning means preferably comprising the slotted circularwall 2S assures the location of the wheel spokes over the rows of burners and 26. This wall is of considerable height so as to localize the heat of the furnace, and it is held supported on the platform 21 by brackets 29 secured to the platform and to the wall. Vertical slots 30 preferably extending about half way, down the sides of the wall 28 receive the wheel spokes. I

I The heat of the burners 25 and 26 is largely localized about the wheel spokes by radially arranged partitions '31, which separate all of the fuel conduits. These partitions arepreferably bodies of material having a low degree of heat conductivity. They are mounted on the platform 21 within the circular wall 28, as shown in the drawings.

Suitable conduits, such as those shown at 32 and 33, supply fuel to the heating apparatus above described, and to the rim furnace 3i, the latter comprising a casing 35 supported by standards 36 and housing heat resisting bodies 37 forming'a combustion chamber 38 and a rim receiving passage 39.

Rim supports 40 secured to the platform 21 maintain the wheel in the desired position relative to the heating agencies of both the spoke heating apparatus and the rim furnace. These supports are preferably construction of Z-formation, as shown.

\Vhilc the invention has been described with reference to a particular sequence of steps and tea particular structure, it is to he uiulerstood that the invention is of a scope commensurate with the breadth of the appended claims.

' What is claimed as new is:

1. A method of manufacturing metallic wheels comprising forming a wheel hub with openings for spokes, bending a length of rim stock to approximately circular form with its ends overlapping each other but uujoined, permanently joining the spokes to the hub and to the rim, expanding the rim to bring its ends closer to abutting relation by heating all of the spokes simultaneously, welding the adjacent rim ends while the spokes remain heated, and cooling the spokes.

2. The method of manufacturing metallic Wheels consisting of forming a hub to receive spokes, bending a length of rim stock to approximately circular form but leaving the adjacent ends unjoined, permanently joining the spokes to the hub and to the open ended rim, expanding the rim by heating all of the spokes simultaneously, permanently uniting the adjacent ends of the rim While the spokes are at a high temperature, and allowing the spokes to cool so that they are under tension in the finished Wheel.

3. A method of manufacturing metallic wheels comprising forming a hub with openings for the spokes, bending a length of rim stock having spoke receiving openings to approximately circular form with its ends adjacent each other but unjoined, permanently joining the spokes to the hub and to the rim by upsetting the spoke ends, heating all of the spokes simultaneously throughout substantial portions of their lengths,

welding the adjacent rim ends, and cooling,

all of the spokes and the overlapped rim ends simultaneously, welding the adjacent ends of the rim While the spokes are hot, and cooling-the spokes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES R. ALLAN. 

